CHA Monthly Awards: March 2014

Player of the Month

Christine Bestland – Mercyhurst

Senior; Forward; Brunkild, Manitoba

Senior Christine Bestland scored four points in four games
during the month of March for the Mercyhurst Lakers. During the
College Hockey America Tournament Bestland tallied one assist in
the 2-1 double overtime loss against RIT. She then collected three
points against No. 2 Cornell in the NCAA Quarterfinals to advance
to the NCAA Frozen Four. Of her two goals, one was scored on the
power-play and one deemed the game-winner to allow her team to
advance to the NCAA semifinals. The senior also propelled herself
to second all-time in career scoring at Mercyhurst with 226 career
points.

Also nominated: Lindsay Grigg, RIT

Goaltender of the Month

Ali Binnington – RIT

Junior; Oakville, Ontario

Binnington was named MVP and earned All-Tournament Team honors
at the CHA Tournament, leading the Tigers to its first CHA
Championship in just its second season as a Division I program.
Binnington was remarkable in net, stopping 118-of-120 shots (.983
save percentage) in 213:35 of game action in March. Binnington
opened the month by stopping all 31 shots she faced in a 3-0 win
over Penn State in game two of the CHA First Round series on March
1. She began the CHA Championship weekend by stopping 25 shots in a
2-1 win over No. 10 Robert Morris in the CHA Semifinal. On
March 8, Binnington made a career-high 62 saves on 63 shots in a
2-1 double overtime victory over top-seed and No. 8
nationally-ranked Mercyhurst in the CHA Championship. Binnington
ended the season by winning seven straight contests, allowing just
six goals on her last 240 shots faced (.975 save percentage and
0.77 goals against average). Binnington finished the season
16-9-2 with a 1.72 goals against average, .944 save percentage, and
six shutouts this season. Her .944 save percentage is third
nationally. It is her seventh weekly honor of the year and 11th of
her career. Binnington was also won the CHA Goaltending Trophy for
the regular season.

Also nominated: Amanda Makela, Mercyhurst

Rookie of the Month

Cassie Clayton – RIT

Forward; Pickering, Ontario

Clayton scored a goal in March 7's 4-1 win over No. 10 Robert
Morris in the CHA Semifinal on and was on the ice for Lindsay
Grigg's game-winning goal in double overtime on March 8 in a 2-1
win over No. 8 Mercyhurst in the CHA Championship. Clayton blocked
four shots over the championship weekend and was the defensive
center who did a tremendous job in holding two of the best
offensives in Division I to just a pair of goals. She finished her
rookie season with seven points on four goals and three
assists.